PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley hopes Thursday night's gritty three-point win over Collingwood in trying conditions proves to his playing group that it has what it takes to hang tough.

The Power rocketed out to a four-goal lead in the first term but the Magpies hit back with a dominant second quarter to trail by just seven points at half-time.

Heavy rain turned the second half into a scrappy affair but it was all Collingwood in the last, with the Pies attacking relentlessly with 18 inside 50s to eight.

But to Hinkley's pleasure, the Power managed to hold strong.

"If we learnt something tonight, it's that we can hang tough again and that's what we have to do," Hinkley said.

"This competition's really strong … the only way to win is to keep at it and keep at it and keep at it.

"Against the numbers … at the end, we just stood up."

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The coach was also thrilled with his side's game before the rain changed the match's style.

Port's spread from stoppage was the best it had been since the first half against Hawthorn in round four - it managed 18 clearances to nine in the opening term and 17 inside 50s to just five.

It was fast, brave football and Hinkley hoped the playing group would be able to build from that.

"All the (external) comments are typically 'they've figured your game style out, they've done this, they've done that' but everyone knows what most sides play like," he said.

"It's being brave enough to keep going there and tonight early we were able to go there and then the conditions made it a different game.

"Hopefully the early signs were positive for the boys and they can take something really positive from it."

WATCH: Ken Hinkley's full post-match press conference

Matthew Lobbe was subbed out at three-quarter time with a sore back, but with a 10-day break before next weekend's Showdown against Adelaide, he's in little doubt to recover.